JOHN Kear is convinced that his Bulls side are only going to get better.

The veteran coach has made a 100 per cent start to his Odsal reign in their bid to win promotion from the third tier at the first attempt.

Kear stressed from the off that the title favourites would not hit their peak until well into the campaign.

He feels they have already made forward strides in the opening month of combat.

Kear noticed that difference in the way they comprehensively beat derby rivals Keighley after sneaking past York on the opening day of the league three weeks earlier.

"That was the most pleasing thing for me about Sunday because we looked a better team," he said.

"Against York, they scrapped and ground that victory out. At Keighley, I thought they played some great rugby league. It's a step forward.

"They are getting more comfortable with the combinations. You can sense they are growing as a group.

"My belief as a coach is that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. It's about moulding a team and that's what we are starting to do.

"They are buying into that and the work ethic is tremendous. We have little off-the-ball stats that we do and they were through the roof, so we were very happy indeed."

Sunday's Challenge Cup hosts Hunslet will also have to find a way of breaching a defensive line that has conceded only two tries in their last two outings.

Keighley second-rower Brad Nicholson managed a solitary score after a rare Bulls lapse of concentration.

"The individual who made the error there held his hand up and said he knew what he did wrong," said Kear.

"It's good when players accept responsibility and are accountable for their actions. That was really pleasing.

"My riposte to him was to make sure it doesn't happen again and then we'll all be happy."